Journalists from Al Jazeera are slain in an Israeli assault on a tent in Gaza, according to sources, as the military claims they were aiming at a Hamas operative disguised as a reporter.
In the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territories, foreign reporters have been barred from covering the events. Sunday saw a tragic incident that has sparked international outrage, as five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City. Among the dead was Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent.
Al-Sharif, aged 28, was not proven to be a member of Hamas or a terrorist, as claimed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Critics and press freedom organizations have labelled these claims as unsubstantiated and part of what they call a smear campaign intended to justify the targeting of journalists in Gaza.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has labelled the accusations against Al-Sharif as false and a form of incitement preceding his killing, describing it as an attempt to manufacture consent for killing journalists like him. The Israeli military has insisted that Al-Sharif was affiliated with Hamas's military wing, but no public evidence has been offered to support these assertions.
Al-Sharif was killed in a strike on a tent for journalists outside the main gate of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Independent observers and media advocates condemn the Israeli claims as attempts to silence or delegitimize journalists reporting on the conflict. The UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories has also pointed to serious threats from the Israeli military towards the journalist.
In a separate statement on messaging app Telegram, the IDF stated that Al-Sharif served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organization. However, these claims have been met with scepticism, with many questioning the lack of evidence provided.
In his last will and testament, posted on social media site X after his death, Al-Sharif lamented not being able to see his son Salah and daughter Sham grow up and paid testimony to his wife.
Al Jazeera and the IDF have been contacted for comment regarding the latest developments, but have yet to respond. The killings of journalists in Gaza have been a contentious issue, with the Israeli army accused of killing more than 190 journalists since October 2023.
The National Union for Journalists has called on the UK government to unequivocally condemn the targeting of journalists and media workers in Gaza. The international community continues to watch closely as the events unfold in the Palestinian territories, with many calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and the protection of journalists reporting on the ground.
[1] https://cpj.org/2023/11/israeli-military-accuses-al-jazeera-journalist-anas-al-sharif-of-terrorism-prior-to-his-killing/ [2] https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/2023/11/20/israel-accused-of-killing-al-jazeera-journalist-anas-al-sharif-in-gaza/ [3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/20/al-jazeera-journalist-anas-al-sharif-killed-in-gaza-strip-israeli-defence-forces-say
- The killing of Al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, has sparked international outrage and led to accusations of targeting journalists by the Israeli military in the conflict in the Palestinian territories.
- Critics and press freedom organizations, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have labeled the accusations against Al-Sharif as false and part of a smear campaign intended to justify the targeting of journalists in Gaza.
- The International community continues to watch closely as the incidents unfold in the Palestinian territories, with many calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and the protection of journalists reporting on the ground.
- In a separate development, the IDF has also been accused of killing more than 190 journalists since October 2023, an issue that has been a contentious topic in the general-news, politics, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice sectors.
